Snapshot: What’s shaping the 2026 market
Across 2026, demand remains steady for frontline advisors, case managers, team leaders, and QA/coaching roles, with spikes in:
Snapshot: What’s shaping the 2026 marketSnapshot: What’s shaping the 2026 market
- Soft landing labour market. Overall vacancies have eased from 2024 peaks but remain elevated versus pre-COVID, with 326,700 vacancies nationally in November 2025 (-0.2% q/q).
- Wage floor lift. The National Minimum Wage rose 3.5% from 1 July 2025 to $24.95/hr ($948/week), which sets a baseline for entry roles and influences award bands.
- AI everywhere—human-first service still wins. Centres are adopting agent-assist and automation, but the most successful teams pair AI with skilled humans for empathy, exception handling, and complex journeys.
- Omnichannel & cloud maturity. Phone + chat + messaging + social continues to converge; cloud platforms enable hybrid teams and regional hiring.
- Public vs outsourced contrast. Public sector contact work has grown, while outsourced centres face scrutiny on training and pay differentials—an important factor when comparing offers.
Hiring demand: where the jobs are
Across 2026, demand remains steady for frontline advisors, case managers, team leaders, and QA/coaching roles, with spikes in:
- Financial services and insurance (compliance-heavy enquiries, hardship support, claims).
- Government services & contractors (benefits, tax, health, social services).
- Energy & utilities (billing transitions, hardship programs, renewables queries).
- E-commerce & logistics (delivery peaks, returns, marketplace policies).
- Tech & telco (bundled services, outage comms, NBN/mobile migrations).
While overall vacancies eased slightly into late 2026, this “cooling not collapsing” market still rewards applicants who can show multi-channel fluency and AI-enabled productivity.
Skills employers will pay for in 2026
| Skill | Why it matters | How to show it |
|---|---|---|
| Complex problem solving & empathy | AI resolves simple queries; humans handle emotion, ambiguity, and exceptions. | Stories where you de-escalated a tough call and achieved a measurable outcome. |
| Omnichannel writing | Chat, email and social require fast, clear, policy-aligned responses. | Samples showing tone control, macros, and A/B improvements to first-contact resolution. |
| AI tools & agent-assist | Centres are piloting AI agents for triage and knowledge surfacing. | List platforms used (e.g., AI QA scoring, real-time guidance) and your productivity lift. |
| Compliance & quality | Financial and government work requires documented procedures and audit trails. | Note QA scores, adherence, and error-free audits. |
| Coaching & leadership | Team leaders who can embed new tech and lift CSAT/ASA are in demand. | Show coaching frameworks, ramp-time reductions, and shrinkage improvements. |
Pay & conditions: what to expect
- Entry-level benchmarks: Offers typically sit at or above the National Minimum Wage; award and enterprise agreements vary by employer and sector.
- Inflation & review cycles: The 3.5% minimum-wage lift in July 2025 flowed through many entry-band reviews, though pace differs by employer and award.
- Casual vs permanent: Around 19% of Australian employees are casual; in contact centres, casual and fixed-term contracts remain common for ramp periods.
- Public vs outsourced: Public roles tend to offer higher base and stronger support settings than some outsourced roles—compare training depth and escalation pathways, not just base pay.
Technology trends redefining roles
Agent-assist AI and partial automation. Real-time guidance, summarisation, and suggested responses are now common. Expect AI to clear simpler volume while humans specialise in complex, regulated and high-emotion work.
Cloud & hybrid operations. Cloud platforms support distributed teams, regional hiring, and flexible rostering, with better QA and compliance tooling.
Omnichannel becomes the default. Chat, messaging, and social care volumes keep rising—written tone, brand alignment, and template design are career multipliers.
Service as a growth engine. Organisations tie service metrics to retention and expansion; frontline roles influence NPS, churn, and lifetime value.
Where the opportunities are (by role)
| Role | Growth Drivers | Signals in the Market |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Service Officer / Advisor | Replacement demand, seasonal peaks, omni volumes | Steady adverts; quick screens; strong focus on availability and baseline tech skills. |
| Team Leader / Coach | AI change management, QA uplift, EX focus | Hiring favours leaders who can improve CSAT and AHT without harming quality. |
| Workforce Planning (WFM) | Channel mix complexity, hybrid rosters | Demand for analysts who can forecast chat + phone concurrency accurately. |
| Quality & Compliance | Regulatory scrutiny, public sector contracts | Growth in QA specialists who can coach to behaviour, not just scorecards. |
How to stand out: 7 quick wins for 2026 job seekers
- Lead with outcomes. Put hard numbers on your resume: CSAT ↑, complaints ↓, AHT ↘, QA pass %, adherence, first-contact resolution.
- Show omnichannel proof. Include short samples of chat/email tone and macro design.
- Mention AI tools you’ve used. E.g., real-time guidance, auto-summaries, QA analytics, and the results you achieved.
- Demonstrate resilience & de-escalation. Brief STAR stories where you handled emotion and complexity to a fair outcome.
- Ask the right questions in interviews. Training hours, nesting length, live-listen coaching, escalation policy, and data/security settings—especially in outsourced environments.
- Target public sector & quality employers. Compare not just base, but coaching, tech stack, and psychological safety.
- Keep certifications light but relevant. Basic privacy, complaints handling, or industry modules (e.g., banking, energy hardship).
FAQs
Are call centre jobs growing or shrinking in Australia?
Vacancies eased slightly into late 2026, but remain historically high versus pre-COVID. Contact centres continue hiring—especially where regulation and complex service is involved (finance, government, energy).
Will AI cut frontline jobs?
AI is changing what advisors do rather than eliminating the need. Simple queries are automated, while human roles focus on exceptions, empathy, and complex journeys—often with AI assist.
What’s a fair starting pay in 2026?
Entry offers often track above the National Minimum Wage of $24.95/hr from 1 July 2025, with higher rates under awards/agreements depending on industry and shifts. Always confirm the specific award and penalties.
Which employers pay best—public or outsourced?
Public sector roles often provide stronger pay bands and conditions; outsourced providers vary widely. Compare training depth, coaching, caseload complexity and wellbeing support, not just base.
Is remote or hybrid work still available?
Yes, particularly where cloud platforms are mature and QA/compliance can be met. Hybrid remains common for experienced agents and specialty teams.
What skills should I put on my resume?
Empathy and de-escalation, omnichannel writing, compliance discipline, and AI-enabled productivity. Use metrics to prove impact.